Shane sat on the edge of the bed, looking at those papers she had written when she was distraught over the pain of losing Cherie. Looking at them reminded her of the naïve fool that was once her and she hated them. Hated herself. She took one stride forward and gripped the papers in her hands. Then she crumpled onto the floor with her legs folded under her and the papers scattered around her.

Chapter 8

Carmen opened the door to the apartment and she was surprised to see Shane sitting on the couch, dressed in a white long-sleeved shirt with a black waistcoat over it and dark blue jeans. She looked stunning, sitting there unmoving, like a dark gloomy painting that you couldn’t take your gaze from.

“Carmen….I’m going somewhere today and you’ll go with me,” she said in a monotone voice. Carmen nodded. “I’ll call the driver,” In the Benz Viano, there was a palpable silence between them. Carmen looked out at the scenery passing her by, the Victorian-styled houses with the large looming gates, and high-rise apartments with clean cut lines. This was so far away from her own world of two-storey houses with little backyards, Carmen thought as she leaned her head gently against the window. She could feel Shane glancing sideways at her and she didn’t bother to hide the misty-eyed look on her face. She missed the smell of Tortilla Paisana wafting from the kitchen, her brother’s big hearty laugh and how you had to shout to be heard at the Morales household.

Shane was lost in her own thoughts when she heard a dull thud. She turned over to look at Carmen, who was leaning closely to the window and had now dozed off. Her head was lolling towards the window and whenever her head knocked against the window, she would wake up with a startle and then go back to sleep again. Shane couldn’t help smiling at this. Strange how sleep came so easily to some people while for her it was so hard. Shane looked at Carmen’s awkward sleeping posture and sighed. She shifted nearer to Carmen and put her hand between Carmen’s head and the windowpane. She gently placed her head on her own shoulder. Carmen stirred slightly, murmured something in her sleep and snuggled against Shane. It was actually a very nice feeling, having someone lying against her so trustingly, Shane thought. She caught Dave looking at them through the rearview mirror. Shane glared at him and he quickly averted his eyes. She knew her behaviour was like a petulant, spoilt brat yesterday and somehow she wanted to make amends. She had never felt the need to change someone’s opinion of her, but somehow it mattered to her that Carmen had seen her at her worst behaviour. When she didn’t throw those papers away, those words and lines she had written seemed to be mocking her in the face about her love for Cherie in the past and Carmen had been a convenient target yesterday for her to lash out at.

Sorry Carmen… First day of work and you have to deal with that…bet it sucks big time with an employer like me…A awry smile appeared on Shane’s face. The car pulled to a stop and Carmen gradually awoke. She took in the surroundings with a slightly dazed look, then she realised that she was sleeping on Shane’s shoulder. She looked flustered and rattled as she immediately sat up straight. “Sorry…I didn’t mean to….” “Actually you were hitting your head against the window pane, so I just propped your head against my shoulder,” Shane said in a casual tone as she got out of the car. Carmen followed with a bewildered look on her face. Compared to yesterday, Shane was oddly easygoing and laid-back today. Finally she came to the conclusion that Shane McCutcheon was simply a complication she had no wish to get embroiled in.